CLEMSON – Atlantic Coast Conference athletic directors are expected to meet Monday in Charlotte to discuss the possibility of a new scheduling format in football, The Clemson Insider confirmed on Friday.

As part of the discussions, the new scheduling format will require all league teams to play at least 10 games against Power 4 competition. This is where the discussions could get dicey, as the league tries to work through an eight or nine-game conference schedule.

A source told TCI that Monday’s meeting is just discussions on a possible new format. Though a vote could take place, they said that is not what the meeting is about, and the group could decide to take a vote on the new scheduling format at a later date.

TCI was told the league wants to move to a 10-game Power 4 scheduling model. How they get there will be either a 9+1 model (9-league games plus one non-conference game vs. a Power 4 opponent) or an 8+2 model.

A source told us Clemson is concerned about the league moving to a nine-game conference slate because it could affect the school’s ability to play big-name opponents in its non-conference slate.

The Tigers are scheduled to play at LSU in 2026 and then in 2027 begin a 12-year home-and-home series with Notre Dame. Clemson also has future marquee matchups scheduled with Georgia and Oklahoma.

Clemson’s end of the year rivalry game with South Carolina is why the school is concerned about a nine-game ACC schedule. Though the nine-league games will not affect the Tigers playing the Gamecocks every year, it could affect playing other Power 4 opponents. Those years Clemson is required to play Notre Dame, as part of the ACC agreement with the Irish, takes away the school’s flexibility to schedule big-time matchups with schools like LSU, Georgia and Oklahoma.

Florida State is in the same boat.

This is not the first time the ACC has discussed moving to a nine-game schedule. The idea has been thrown around for more than a decade, even at the ACC’s Annual Spring Meetings this past May.

ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips was even asked about it May, but he did not speak long on the matter. However, sources have told us Phillips is in favor of moving the league to a nine-conference game schedule.